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1585 and English spies William Shakespeare, Oldcastle and Hemminges are in Venice. While Oldcastle and Hemminges want to return to England, Shakespeare wishes to stay with his lover Isabella Lisarro. This is only the beginning of their problems.
Unfortunately this book might read better if The Spy in Venice had been read but I haven't read the first in the series. But I didn't like the writing style, and became annoyed with the quotes of Shakespeare's plays starting or ending the short chapters. I also didn't care much for any of the characters.
A NetGalley Book ( )

What I commend about this book:
The characters, and there are many, are well fleshed out and colorful;
The Language is true to the time but understandable and beautifully written;
The various settings and especially the politics of those settings are true and engaging.

The action commences in Venice and Verona in the late fall of 1585. The story spans only a few months but much happens in the time frame. The story revolves around three Englishmen who have vital information that must be conveyed to England and Queen Elizabeth. All the more interesting that one of these Englishmen is William Shakespeare.

There is a new Pope, Sixtus V, who has employed spies to infiltrate England in the attempt to topple the Heretic Queen. He has also commissioned soldiers, and a certain English Priest to find and unmask the three Englishmen before they can deliver their information. The Pope has charged his Priest “to root out heresy” in the areas north of Rome all the while fomenting the fighting between France and Spain. Add into the mix the Duke of Verona who is being challenged not only by the Pope’s English Priest, but by his daughter for being denied her one true love. And around and around we go as more and more players are introduced as others fall by the wayside.

The twists and turns were well done and the ending, well, is it an ending?

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnie Zaffre for an ARC. ( )

How might Shakespeare’s “lost years” have been spent?
According to Benet Brandreth’s historical thriller series the answer is in swash-buckling and romantic adventures in Italy. This second book in the series can be read as a standalone since the context is set out clearly, and we quickly get to know the central characters who have incurred the wrath of a power-seeking pope.
However the pacing is somewhat uneven as a dramatic start in Venice is followed by a long wait before the action picks up again in Verona, and there are other slower sections too. The very short chapters add to the frustrating feeling of waiting for something to happen and the Shakespearean lines used as headings add little to the story, though the quotes woven into the dialogue are enjoyable.
Overall this is an imaginative tale with some surprising twists at the end. ( )